A fighter jet and a helicopter based on the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz both crashed into the South China Sea within 30 minutes of each other, the Navy’s Pacific Fleet reported. The causes of the two crashes are currently under investigation, according to an official statement.
President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Tokyo on Monday, suggested that the incidents could have been caused by “bad fuel.” He ruled out foul play and emphasized that there was “nothing to hide.”
The USS Nimitz is currently returning to its home port at Naval Base Kitsap in Washington state after being deployed to the Middle East for most of the summer. This deployment was part of the U.S. response to attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on commercial shipping. Notably, this is the carrier’s final deployment before decommissioning.
In related news, another aircraft carrier, the USS Harry S. Truman, experienced a series of mishaps in recent months during its deployment to the Middle East. In December, the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg mistakenly shot down an F/A-18 jet from the Truman. Then, in April, an F/A-18 fighter jet slipped off the Truman’s hangar deck and fell into the Red Sea.
In May, an F/A fighter jet attempting to land on the Truman in the Red Sea went overboard after apparently failing to catch the steel cables used to stop landing planes. Both pilots safely ejected. Thankfully, no sailors were killed in any of these incidents.
Investigations into these mishaps are ongoing, and the results have yet to be released.
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https://www.wptv.com/us-news/military/navy-loses-two-aircraft-from-uss-nimitz-aircraft-carrier-within-30-minutes
